


Like a Diamond in the Sky

by msraven



Series: Not afraid to hope [4]
Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Clint Barton is William Brandt, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 05:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/949201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint orchestrates a surprise for Phil.</p><p>A small and self-indulgent return to an old 'verse to celebrate my fandomversary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Diamond in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> For the marriage square on my trope_bingo card.

“Phil, can I ask you for something?”

Phil pushes his laptop away and takes off his glasses, focusing all of his attention on his husband.

In all the years that they’ve worked together and eventually loved and lived together, Clint has rarely asked for anything, especially for himself. The need to request permission just to ask is a product of Clint’s sad childhood and Phil has learned not to call attention to it, but to listen intently because whatever Clint is about to ask for is something important enough to risk the question. 

This same question had prefaced the first time they’d kissed, the morning Clint had asked if Phil would move in with him, and the night Clint had proposed.

“Of course, Clint,” Phil replies. “What would you like?”

Clint takes off his own glasses - something he hadn’t needed before his years with the IMF analysts during Phil’s absence - and puts his book down on the coffee table.

“Could you make sure you’re home next Saturday?” Clint asks.

Phil does a mental check of his schedule for the coming week and nods his head. “That shouldn’t be a problem. My team doesn’t have any planned missions and I can deflect anything that comes up that may keep me away.”

“Okay, good,” Clint says and the smile on the archer’s face is well worth the ribbing Phil will get from Fury when he requests a week-long stand down for his team. “I’m technically still healing," Clint continues, "so they haven’t put me back on the active roster for callouts.”

Phil frowns at the reminder. While the senior agent had served as the Avengers’ SHIELD liaison for several months after his miraculous return from death, Fury had recently decided that Phil’s strengths were better served with a new SHIELD team instead of playing babysitter to a bunch of superheroes. Clint and Phil had both agreed with the director’s decision at the time. 

Neither of them had stopped to think about how difficult it would be to watch each other step in front of danger from hundreds of miles away. It had been a true test of Nick and Phil’s long standing friendship when Nick had chosen not to inform Phil of Clint’s injuries until after he’d come home from his own op. They have since agreed that Nick did what he thought best with the information he had and that it would never, ever happen again. 

Clint slides closer and puts a gentle hand on Phil’s arm. “I’m fine. The physical therapists are just being careful with the leg."

“It wasn’t ever the leg I was worried about,” Phil can’t help firing back. 

The stab wound and broken bone were nothing compared to the alien infection that had nearly killed Clint. Phil shakes his head and pushes images of Clint laying pale in a hospital bed out of his thoughts. They are both well aware of the dangers inherent in the lives they lead and have survived more than their fair share of strife over the years. Phil does not want his fears and worries to overshadow Clint's request. 

“Is there a special occasion on Saturday I don’t know about?” Phil asks instead, searching his memory, but coming up blank.

“Just something I’ve been wanting to do,” Clint shrugs. “I’d like to keep it a surprise, if that’s okay?”

“Sure. I love surprises,” Phil agrees.

“No you don’t,” Clint laughs and leans in to give him a quick kiss. 

Phil wraps an arm around his husband and deepens the kiss when Clint would normally pull away to let Phil finish working. There is nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow and Phil has always found Clint unfairly attractive in his glasses. Clint hums in approval, laying backward onto the couch and pulling Phil on top of him.

~^~ 

Unfortunately for Phil, Fury already has a pre-assigned mission ready when Phil drops in to see him the next day. It’s less a mission than an audit of one of their satellite offices, so at least there is little chance of injury, and Nick guarantees it won’t take more than three days. It takes five.

To add insult to injury, the pilots discover a mechanical problem with the plane and Phil won’t be able to fly back to New York until Saturday morning. When he calls Clint to swear that they’ll be airborne the moment the plane is fit to fly, Clint assures him that they don’t have plans until later in the morning and to get a good night’s sleep. Clint sounds happy and relaxed, so Phil does what he's told. 

The plane lands at 09:17 and Phil had promised to be home by 10:00. He's within his rights to get a little annoyed when it’s apparent that the agent driving the SHIELD SUV has no idea how to navigate the streets of New York.

“Agent Simmons,” Phil says through gritted teeth, “are you incapable of basic navigation? You are aware that you are driving _away_ from our final destination? I would like to point out that the very tall tower with the large ‘A’ emblazoned along its roof is currently behind us.”

“Sorry, sir,” Simmons replies. “Maybe this wasn’t a shortcut after all.”

“Well that’s an obvious --” Phil stops mid-thought when the familiar voice finally registers. “Agent Hunt, is there a reason you are attempting to kidnap a senior agent of SHIELD and the husband of someone you consider a close friend?”

Ethan throws his head back and laughs as they come to a stop at a red light. The IMF agent turns, ripping his mask off, and gives Phil a wide grin. “Damn it, Phil! Now I owe Natasha two hundred dollars for you figuring it out.”

Phil relaxes at the mention of the other Avenger, not that he’d really believed that Ethan would do anything to hurt him. The friendship Ethan has with Clint - though no longer William Brandt - is something the IMF agent clearly cherishes. 

“Is this all for Clint?” Phil asks.

“Yes,” Ethan answers. “Just sit back and let yourself be surprised.”

Phil opens his mouth to ask a question, but Ethan shakes his head before he can voice it. Phil sighs and settles back against the seat, resigning himself to remaining completely in the dark for whatever Clint has planned. 

The last thing Phil expects is for Ethan to stop the car in front of a small house just outside the city. The house is tastefully decorated in an abundance of flowers and silk ribbon and, from where they are parked, Phil can see a similarly decorated archway in the backyard. When Ethan opens his door, Phil gets a glimpse several people taking their seats in the rows of chairs set up in front of the arch. 

"You're a lucky man, Phil," Ethan says with only a touch of his old sadness as Phil emerges from the SUV.

Before Phil can respond, the door to the house opens and his husband steps out. Clint is wearing one of his favorite suits - nothing too formal, but still out of the norm for the Avenger. Phil's mouth goes dry at the sight and has to swallow against the outpouring of love that threatens to overwhelm him. 

Clint smiles at Phil and then turns slightly toward his friend. "Thanks Ethan."

"No problem," Ethan responds. "Glad I could be here this time around."

Clint laughs. "There was barely anyone there the first time around."

Phil has to smile at the memory. Their first wedding had been in a morose-looking, random town in England with only Natasha and Fury there to stand as witnesses. Clint's arm had been in a sling, Phil had a bandage covering a large gash on his forehead, and all of them had been several days past the need to bathe. It was still a beautiful ceremony. 

Ethan slips away as Phil and Clint walk toward one another. 

"You did all this?" Phil asks unnecessarily. "Not that I don't love every bit of it, but why? Why today and not in May?"

Clint takes Phil's hand and looks a little shy when he answers. "I know we always said that the paper didn't matter as much as the vows we keep, but that didn't stop us from making it official the first time and our first marriage technically ended the day you died."

Phil pushes forward to kiss the despair away from Clint's eyes, whose breath hitches a little as he kisses back. There will never be a day when Phil isn't absurdly grateful for getting a second chance at loving this man, that he'd stayed faithful to their marriage even when all hope was lost. 

"And today?" Phil prods when they break apart. 

"A year ago today is when I got back my heart," Clint replies. 

Phil is brought back to that day a year ago, standing in a small conference room at SHIELD HQ and watching Clint walk through the door, looking so unlike himself and yet everything Phil remembered and loved. He still doesn't know which one of them had let out a broken sob as they'd rushed across the room and into each other's arms. Phil had forgotten the day in the chaos that followed, but Clint had not. 

"I love you, Clint," Phil says. 

"And I love you, Phil," Clint responds, motioning towards the toward the house and holding his other hand out to Phil. "Shall we make it official a second time?"

Phil takes Clint's hand with a joy-filled smile. "As often as it takes."

Clint and Phil's second wedding is at a small house on the outskirts of New York City. Nick and Natasha are there along with all of their friends and family to stand witness. All of the flowers are majestically in bloom, the sun shines brightly over the proceedings, and they both look radiant in their suits. It is nearly as beautiful as the first ceremony. 

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> A year ago today, I posted my first fanfic for this fandom on AO3. Since then, I've posted 62 works (including this one), received more kudos, positive comments, and subscriptions than I ever expected, and gained a lot of wonderful friends. 
> 
> Thank you all for everything!!!


End file.
